Metals bind to and influence peptide involved in insulin production

Metals such as zinc, copper and chromium bind to and influence a peptide involved in insulin production, according to new work from chemists at the University of California, Davis. The research is part of a new field of "metalloendocrinology" that takes a detailed look at the role of metals in biological processes in the body.

"We're asking questions people didn't realize we don't have the answers to," said Marie Heffern, assistant professor of chemistry at UC Davis and senior author on the paper, to be published in the journal ChemBioChem.

Metals play a role in many biochemical processes. Hemoglobin contains iron and carries oxygen in the blood; zinc and copper are involved in a third to a half of all body functions. But while scientists know the overall amount of an element in a given component of the body, such as blood, they generally don't know the exact location of these metals, the state they are in or their biological role in the body.

A metal is an ingredient - what you do with it is what makes the difference."

Marie Heffern, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UC Davis and Senior Author on the Paper

Her laboratory at UC Davis is using new techniques to understand how metals are distributed inside and outside cells, how they bind to proteins and other molecules and the subtle influences they have on those molecules.

The new study looked at C-peptide, or connecting peptide, a short chain of amino acids. C-peptide is being investigated for potential in treating kidney disease and nerve damage in diabetes, so any better understanding of how it behaves in different conditions could be useful in drug development.

Influencing Shape and Uptake by Cells

When the pancreas makes insulin, C-peptide connects two chains of insulin in a preliminary step. C-peptide is then cut out, stored along with insulin and released at the same time. C-peptide used to be considered a byproduct of insulin production but now scientists know that it acts as a hormone in its own right.

The researchers measured how readily zinc, copper and chromium bound to C-peptide in test tubes, and how the metals affected the ability of cells to take up C-peptide.

The metals had subtle effects on the structure of C-peptide, notably on its ability to curl into a helix in some conditions. Copper and chromium prevented cells from taking up the hormone, but other metals such as zinc, cobalt and manganese did not have such an effect.

The results show that metals can potentially "tune" the activity of hormones such as C-peptide by altering their structure or affecting uptake into cells, Heffern said.

Source:

University of California - Davis

Journal reference:

Stevenson, M.J. et al. (2019) Analysis of metal effects on C‐peptide structure and internalization. ChemBioChem. doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201900172

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
COVID-19 reduces male fertility by affecting semen quality and hormone levels